“We cannot enter into a contract for services with anyone who has publicly, affirmatively stated that they will not follow the law in delivering those services,” DCFS spokesman Kendall Marlow said. “These agencies have chosen this course and we must now plan to transition these cases with the least disruption possible.”

“We’re not going back,” Governor Pat Quinn said. “They made a choice. Any organization that decides that because of the civil unions law that they won’t participate voluntarily in a program, that’s their choice.”

Catholic Charities had been fighting the civil unions law for some time now, from threatening to pull out of all adoption service (which they did) to their current lawsuits over having to follow the law when they receive state funds and operate in the public sphere. Assistant Attorney General Deborah Barnes, representing DCFS and the Illinois Department of Human Rights against Catholic Charities, says it best:

“The state declined to issue new contracts because the plaintiffs indicated they will not comply with state laws. There is no right to a contract with the government; they’re not compelled to then take control and administer it in a fashion which forces them to compromise their religious beliefs.”

So for now, at least, roughly 25% of the adoption services paid for by the state and by our tax dollars are unavailable to couples in civil unions.

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